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Barges to reach Bristol Bay early this year

Inbound Logistics

Barges will be making their way into Bristol Bay in the weeks ahead, a little earlier than usual. 

J.P. Amo, the Seafood Manager with Alaska Marine Lines, says they except the first barge to get to Naknek on about the 15th of April and then to Dillingham by the 22nd. Amo says the warm weather has helped to get the barge in early.

"Water temperature has helped out quiet a bit. And trying to get everybody set up for the Herring fishery. So it looks like we're going to be ahead of schedule then the last few years. This is the earliest we've been here for a few years."

Alaska Logistics says their Bristol Bay bound barges will be just behind that, probably close to the first of May.  While the warm weather is bringing the AML barge in early, it may actually be delaying the fuel barge for Vitus.

Vitus CEO Mark Smith says there are no firm dates yet, but expects deliveries by mid-May or June.

"With the warm winter and the diminished demand for fuel. The entire western Alaska supply chance may actually start out a little slower."

There is a lot of inventory from the fall oil shipment that hasn’t been used so Smith says there isn’t a huge rush to get a new shipment in. But he did say that with little snowpack, the water level of the rivers could be lower which would make transporting oil on the barges more difficult and costly.